The present invention relates generally to electric vehicles and, more particularly to a control system for an electric vehicle.
An electronic traction vehicle is a vehicle that uses electricity in some form or another to provide all or part of the propulsion power of the vehicle. This electricity can come from a variety of sources, such as stored energy devices relying on chemical conversions (batteries), stored electrical charge devices (capacitors), stored energy devices relying on mechanical stored energy (e.g. flywheels, pressure accumulators), and energy conversion products. In a typical conventional electric traction vehicle, a prime mover, such as a diesel engine, is used to drive an electric generator or alternator which supplies electric current to one or more traction motors. The traction motors typically are coupled to wheel sets on the vehicle. A typical vehicle that utilizes this type of electric traction is a railroad locomotive. In some conventional electric traction vehicles, stored energy is used to provide the main power which provides the electrical current to one or a plurality of traction motors. A typical vehicle that utilizes this type of electric traction is a golf cart or battery powered electric car. In some conventional electric traction vehicles, having more than one sources of energy is desirable. By having more than one source of energy, some optimizations in the design can allow for more efficient power production, thus allowing power to be used from different sources to come up with a more efficient system for traction. These types of vehicles are commonly referred to as hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Series and Parallel HEV system designs are what is usually encountered.
As the complexity of electric vehicles increases, the demands placed on the communication networks of the vehicles also increase. Also, in many instances, when a controller malfunctions or the communications network goes down, the vehicle is often disabled and unusable until suitable repairs can be made. This is an undesirable result in any situation, particularly situations where the electric vehicle is a military vehicle and the occupants thereof are exposed to enemy fire. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved vehicle which is robust and is suitable to handle the increasing demands placed on the communications network.